Monday, December 9, 2013

While Matt Prater was the big kicking story yesterday, there was plenty of other kicking news around the NFL... except for in Philadelphia where Mother Nature didn't want the kickers to participate in the Eagles-Lions game.Tampa Bay 27-6 over Buffalo: Bucs kicker Rian Lindell faced the Bills, for whom he had kicked for a decade.

"It was odd trying to warm up because the training staff and
equipment guys, weight room guys, those are the guys I've been around
with for however many years. It's great to see all of
them. … It’s nice to get a win. I thought I kicked well all day.
Obviously during the game is when it counts, but even pregame, it's nice
to hit a clean ball, you know what I mean? It's nice that the day
cooperated....[The 53 yarder] was nice. At the time, you just want
to hit a good ball, and I don't care what the other jersey looks like or
who we're playing. But yeah, kind of looking back, taking it all in a
little bit, it is nice. It’s nice to hit a long one."

New England 27-26 over Cleveland: Browns kicker Billy Cundiff came up just a tad short on a 58 yard field goal attempt on the final play of the game.

“If I could have that ball the rest of the year for
every kick I would be extremely happy. I just know when I
looked up I expected to make it....

I
don’t think it had any effect on the final field goal but 24 degrees
and 58 yards had more of an effect on it. My calf cramped but
we got it settled and it went away enough for me to go out and give it a
good shot on the last field goal.”

Green Bay 22-21 over Atlanta: Packers kicker Mason Crosby watched as Falcons kicker Matt Bryant came up short on a 52 yard attempt in the fourth quarter.

"It was tough out there today. The conditions, inside 50, it felt OK, but it seemed like once you got
out into those long-range kicks, both (directions) it was kind of
knocking it down once it got toward the goal line....

It was a
tough kick. It looked like he put a decent strike on it. You could tell
it came off OK, but then it just kind of flattened out and fell short."

Arizona 30-10 over St. Louis: Cardinals kicker Jay Feely missed a pair of field goals on the day:

“You have to make those kicks. I’m disappointed. I’m just
glad we won. The field was soft and I just kind of slid. But there’s no
excuse, especially on the shorter one....You just have to move on, be ready for next week and be ready to
make a kick. You can’t allow it to distract you from getting ready.”

San Francisco 19-17 over Seattle: 49ers kicker Phil Dawson made four field goals (23, 48, 52 & 22 yards), the latter winning the game with 31 seconds remaining.

"This is fun. I've always been appreciative to play in the NFL. I'm very grateful for
my years in Cleveland. But to have a chance now to be in the hunt and
have a say about the playoffs and just to experience it all, it's been
worth the wait....

I've been around long
enough to know that, every now and then you kind of get on these rolls
and everything goes in. Then there will be times when
you're kicking great and you can't make one. You just got to enjoy it
when things are going your way and try to hold off those slumps as much
as you can."